Billfold



Feb. 3, 1942.

J. P. WEGE BILLFOLD Filed May 2, 1940 INVENTOR J 0///V P WISE.

cu. mu

ATTORNEY Patented Feb.- 3, 1942 BILLFOLD John 1. Wege, West .Bend, Wis., assignor to Amity Leather Products Company, West Bend, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 2, 1940, serial No. 332,903

1 Claim.

out so that portions thereof become visible in the main compartment. p

The foregoing objects are accomplished by providing a secret pocket formed from two walls, one of which is lower than the other to provide an opening at the top edge of the lower wall, and positioning the secret pocket within the main compartment of the billfold, with the opening facing a wall of the main compartment and attaching the upper edge of the higher wall of the secret pocket to the upper edge of said wall of the main compartment.

The novel features, which are considered characteristic of the invention, are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view'in front elevation of a billfold embodying the invention, with parts being broken away for sake of clarity;

Figure 2 is a transverse, sectional view of the billfold taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the billfold showing the secret pocket withdrawn from its nested position in the main compartment; and

Figure 4 is a transverse, sectional view of the billfold taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

forms the backbone thereof and a front wall 2 tion of the 'front wall below the lower edge of the longitudinal opening A. A tape with slide fas-- tener elements 5 is secured to the upper edge of the billfold between the top edges of the back and front walls I and 2. The tape and elements 5 extends substantially the length of the opening A. A similar tape and slide fastener elements 6 is stitched to the top edge of the dividing wall 3.. By means of a slider member I the elements 5 and 6 may be hooked together, closing the longitudinal opening A, shutting ofl access to the main bill compartment C. The dividing wall 3 and the front wall 2 form an auxiliary bill pocket which has no closure device. As is customary. the billfold may be provided with compartments for identification cards, calling cards, and change, secured to the outer surface of the front wall 2, as indicated at 4.

The billfold, as heretofore described, has two bill compartments; compartment B in which may be placed bills of small denomination for ready availability, and compartment C in which may be placed bills of larger denomination, access to which is had through the closable opening A. In accordance with this invention there is provided within the closable compartment C a secret compartment D for bills of large denomination. The compartment D is formed from a front wall 8 and a back wall 9 which are joined together along their bottom and side edges. The upper edge of the front wall 8 extends above the upper edge of the edge of the back wall 8 to provide an opening to the secret compartment along the upper edge of the back wall 9. The secret compartment D extends longitudinally for substantially the entire length of the opening A. When placed in nested position within the compartment C with the upper edge of the front wall 8 secured to the upper edge of the back wall I, the front wall 8 presents an unbroken leather surface extending from the bottom of the compartment C to the very top thereof and simulates the appearance of a leather lining for the back wall I. To enhance this object, the compartment C may be made of soft leather customarily used for lining bill compartments. When in this position the'opening to the secret compartment D is not visible when the compartment C is open and vision had through opening A. To attain access to the secret compartment D it must be withdrawn from the compartment C and folded outwardly through the opening A as is illustrated in Figure 4. When so -folded access may be had through the opening at the free edge of wall 9.

With this type of secret compartment it is impossible for bills retained therein to become partially visible in the main compartment even when the latter is emptied or its contents. The

fact that the billiold has two apparent compartments for bills, one of which is provided with a closure device, would lead the unauthorized searcher to believe that all money compartments of the billfold had been inspected, hence a detail search for the secret compartment would not be made.

although there is shown and described certain specific embodiments of the invention, many modifications thereof are possible. The invention is not to be restricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claim. a

I claim:

In a billiold, back and front wall members secured together along the bottom and side edges thereof to provide a main pocket having an upwardly opening mouth, a loose lining flap of double thickness for said pocket comprising front and rear wall members secured together along the bottom and side edges thereoi to define within said flap a secret pocket having an upwardly opening mouth, said flap having substantially the same dimensions as the interior of said main pocket and disposed loosely therein between the back and front walls thereof, the front wall of said flap being secured along the upper edge thereof to the upper edge of the back wall of the main pocket which is juxtaposed to the rear wall 01' said flap whereby to dispose the mouth of said secret pocket behind and close to the attached upper edge, of said flap when said flap is disposed in the main pocket, and an additional wall member ior defining an auxiliary pocket, said wall member overlying the front wall 0! the main pocket and being secured thereto along the bottom and side edges, and means for releasably securing the mouth or the main pocket, including cooperating fastener elements carried respectively along the longitudinal upper edges or the front and rear wall members of the main pocket.

JOHN P. WEGE. 

